The tension is now rising between light heavyweights Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez.

The two former friends will collide on February 3 at Wembley Arena in London.

Their fight has been sanctioned as a WBA final eliminator to secure a mandatory world title shot at unbeaten beltholder Dmitry Bivol, who last weekend retained his belt with a dominant twelve round decision over Lyndon Arthur.

Back in October, they were scheduled to collide at the O2 Arena - but the bout was postponed during fight week when Azeez withdrew with an ankle injury.

"It was devastating to hear," Buatsi said during a call with Sky Sports. "That close to fight, the work has been done. I think injuries are quite limited that close ... but I hear it, anything can happen. If he's injured, he's injured, it is what it is."

Azeez is not happy with some of the claims that he fabricated the injury.

"I didn't really like the narrative but it is what it is. What can you do?" Azeez said. "Even sometimes just the stuff Josh even says: 'You know, I don't know, I'm not sure'. Why am I going to make up an injury? It's either you don't believe it or you do. I thought you would at least know my character a bit better than that."

Buatsi however, believes Azeez is stalling for time.

"This fight has been rescheduled so many times," Buatsi said. "We were meant to fight in August. February 3 we get to let it out. That's the beauty, we've got a date now. I've been working diligently, very, very hard since my last fight in May."

Azeez fired back at Buatsi's position on the matter.

"I've been doing the same. From when I won the European title I've been in camp as well. This guy's just talking now. I was meant to defend my European title in July! Look at this guy, he's acting like a diva. A diva and a crybaby, that's the honest truth," Azeez.